Listeds - Apetit expands management team after Foodhills acquisition

Business

Apetit expands management team after Foodhills acquisition

Dec 23, 2025

Apetit Plc is widening its management team with three appointments effective January 1, 2026, as the producer of frozen foods and vegetables prepares for its next strategy period.

Karl Vilhelm Beckman, CEO of Apetit’s operations in Sweden, Sari Valonen, HR director, and Miika Kemilä, communications and sustainability director, will join the management team and report to CEO Esa Mäki, Apetit announced today. With that, the current five-member team will increase to eight members.

The new members are familiar. Valonen has led human resources since 2020, while Kemilä has overseen communications and sustainability since 2022. Beckman has served as CEO of Foodhills since 2019, and his appointment follows Apetit’s acquisition of Foodhills, completed in November.

“We are strengthening and expanding our management team to meet the strategic needs of the Group,” Esa Mäki said, adding that the changes “support our success during the forthcoming strategy period.”

The appointments come as Apetit navigates weaker profitability. For January–September 2025, net sales rose 4% to EUR 124.4 million, while the operating result declined to EUR 4.7 million due partly to Foodhills-related costs, according to the interim report. Mäki said that delivery reliability has normalized and that the acquisition of the processor of frozen peas will strengthen Apetit’s position in Sweden.

Authors

Emmi Laine

Emmi Laine is head of business content at Listeds and our lead for finance and business coverage. She sets the editorial agenda, interviews Nordic business leaders, and writes stories, newsletters, and social content on timely market and corporate topics. Emmi brings nearly eight years of experience from Shanghai's Yicai Global / Yicai Media Group, where she was awarded for reporting on China’s economy, finance sector, and technology innovation. She holds an MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from ESADE Business School in Barcelona and a Master’s degree in International Design Business Management from Aalto University. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Culture Studies with a major in Journalism from Stockholm University and has studied Mandarin Chinese and Chinese culture. Emmi is a Finnish citizen and has lived in Finland, Sweden, China, and Portugal.